Let's talk nutrition, since it's in the title and all

[Mr.Goodtimes]

I like this thread! lol.

I work out a lot, wrestling got me into working out and then preparing to get into the teams after college has taken me even farther down that road.

I, like zdl, notice too that when my diet suffers, so do my workouts. something like a pizza or fried chicken the night before will easily take my tough five thirty mile and turn it into a brutal eight minute mile. All my lifts go down, and i feel just sort of sluggish the rest of the day.

The actual combinations and recipes i change around to keep things interesting but heres pretty much what i eat on a regular basis:

-whole wheat bread products (english muffins, burger buns etc.)
-Fish
-Lean beef (burgers and steak)
-Chicken
-Turkey
-Roast beef
-Tuna
-Rice
-Eggs
-Potatoes
-Cheese
-Canadian bacon
-Peanut butter (natural)
-Vegetables
-Pasta (usually spaghetti)
-Oatmeal (tons of oatmeal)
-Fruits (apples, bananas, and kiwi are the ones i eat the most)

theres probably some things i left out but those are most of it.

with just those foods theres so many things to make. one of my favorite breakfasts is a baked potato with a little cheese and an omlette with cheese and canadian bacon.

I do use supplements. Whey is a mainstay and i usually take a preworkout supp cause when i wake up at four thirty, the first place i go is the gym and i need somethin to sorta kick off my day. My new favorite pre work out supp is NO Shotgun. Its got a lot of good stuff in it. Aside from a little caffine to get me goin, its got 20g of whey protein and creatine in it as well.

After i work out i take two scoops of whey mixed with 1/2 cup of oats, half a banana, some milk and ice cubes. thats sort of my first breakfast. after that i usually go home and make some eggs and a potato.

my workouts very greatly. i always run (i like to go 75-80% max effort for about 2 miles) and bike. then after that ill either lift weight or do body weight stuff. its kind of like whatever im in the mood for that day, it keeps things interesting. i dont have set days to work out any more either. ive started making it a little more random. i do run every day (mon-fri) however.

i base my routine mostly around having functional strength. i do a lot of olympic lifts, and lots of high rep stuff. some days though i might do heavy weight for low reps, other days ill do medium weight for high reps.

[Fringe]

In general we should all avoid simple carbs and use complex carbs for our carb intake

simple carbs -- processed white flour, sugar, white rice, potatoes, normal pasta, I assume alcohol, etc

complex carbs -- whole grains and flours from whole grains, vegetables, brown rice, etc

simple carbs are highly glycemic and cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Complex carbs are less glycemic and do not cause such rapid and high spikes.

If you do eat pasta or potatoes or white rice etc, make sure you eat protein with it as well, at the same time (meat sauce, etc) since this will tone down or reduce the glycemic index of the pasta, potatoes, etc.

(If you eat oatmeal, do not eat instant oatmeal -- the processing it has undergone makes it more glycemic than whole oats or old fashioned oats)

Chad

Chad,
Thanks for the info about pairing proteins with my simple cab meals like pasta. I did not know this and I will do my best to stick with it. There was a time period when I loved making home made pasta sauce with fresh garlic and the works but would sometimes eat it just plain (no meat) on white pasta.
Thanks.

[BravoCompanyUSA]

I think the answer is going to vary significantly with different folks.

Back in the 1980's, when the nutrition info went mainstream it was all about low fat diet. Lots of complex carbs, lots of protein, and low fat.
I knew some guys that did that diet, stayed lean, tight, and in great shape. (low cholesterol, etc.)
I did it and felt, tired (exhausted), and weak, and was always always starving.

In the early 90's, I read Jay Robb, and Dan Duchaine's Bodyopus. I tried a version of that. Virtually no carbs. Lots of protien and lots of quality fat. After a 2 week adjustment period, I felt great! I ate as much as I wanted, cholesterol was perfect, and got leaner every day. And likewise as many folks that did well on this type of diet, there were a bunch that felt very weak, and sick.

I can't do that diet now. I have had to modify it. Trying to build a business for the past 10 years has moved me from the squat rack to the swivel chair, and my health went down and body weight went up. So I went back to that diet that used to work so perfectly well with no success. I then added in greens for carbs, only took in high quality protein and it is great. A few years ago, ended up dropping 40lbs. Right now, cholesterol and blood pressure are great. I would be even better if I could pull my butt out of the swivel chair and into the gym more than twice a month, maybe soon.

[gyp_c2]

...whatever the diet, just keep moving...
I work outside everyday but the older I get, the more sitting wears me out!
If I allow myself to sit for a significant amount of time over the weekend, I find myself having to push to get back on track Monday am...
Keep movin'...and stick to what works!

[WS6]

100 words:

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

I really like this post and the information in it. I have done this for the past 2 years (less so with the sports and gymnastics, more-so towards the strength gaining). I need to work on my flexibility. I am not bad as I used to be very avid in the martial arts community, but it never was my forte. Awesome post and if you follow your own advice I would presume that you have developed explosive power with your movements way out of proportion to your body size.

[John Frazer]

I really like this post and the information in it. I have done this for the past 2 years (less so with the sports and gymnastics, more-so towards the strength gaining). I need to work on my flexibility. I am not bad as I used to be very avid in the martial arts community, but it never was my forte. Awesome post and if you follow your own advice I would presume that you have developed explosive power with your movements way out of proportion to your body size.

To give due credit, ZDL's 100 words were from Crossfit founder Greg Glassman. They were a sidebar to his key article, "What is Fitness?" at http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ-trial.pdf

And yes, Crossfit will make you stronger than you look. Petite women who can do a bodyweight clean, a double bodyweight deadlift, and 20 pullups, are the norm, not the exception, among experienced CF trainees.

M4C members will also likely appreciate a definition of fitness that includes "accuracy" as one of its 10 components.

[ZDL]

To give due credit, ZDL's 100 words were from Crossfit founder Greg Glassman. They were a sidebar to his key article, "What is Fitness?" at http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ-trial.pdf

And yes, Crossfit will make you stronger than you look. Petite women who can do a bodyweight clean, a double bodyweight deadlift, and 20 pullups, are the norm, not the exception, among experienced CF trainees.

M4C members will also likely appreciate a definition of fitness that includes "accuracy" as one of its 10 components.

You're right. I posted that a while ago after I did a crossfit post and thought I referenced it. My apologies.

[John Frazer]

You're right. I posted that a while ago after I did a crossfit post and thought I referenced it. My apologies.

No foul, as I recalled you had done that and should have mentioned that I remembered your attribution.

I mentioned it only as a lead-in to Glassman's article, which it also gave me an excuse to re-read for the first time in a while. After 5 years of CF training, his analysis and prescription still hold up well.

[the1911fan]

Not much red meat, chicken and fish for protein. Fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Whole oats, wheat bread, soy milk. Not much sugar at all. Good dose of Yuengling every now and again.

[HirosStorageUnit]

This is a great thread. I am in the process of training to do some climbing next summer and I want to take my fitness from ok to great. I still have yet to figure out the whole nutrition thing but Im working at it. The key, is of course just keep moving. I getup at 530 and run then in the evening I hit the climbing wall and weights. I try for this 5 days a week.